From Monday’s National Law Journal:  Work/Life Balance:  Fathers Seek It, Too, by Phoebe Taubman & Yolanda Wu:

It’s June again, the time of year when florists and greeting card companies exhort us to honor our favorite "grads and dads" with bouquets and cheery sentiments. Although newly minted male law school grads are surely happy to celebrate their accomplishments, many of them, who are thinking ahead to their time as dads, are also worrying about their future. They worry whether they will be able to find a healthy balance between their legal careers and family life …

We recently conducted a survey of students at NYU School of Law about work and family issues.

The survey was e-mailed numerous times to all students during one week in the fall of 2007. Out of a total enrollment of 2,167 students, 248 women (24% of women) and 103 men (9% of men) completed surveys. The respondents included 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and LL.M. students. The results indicate that worries about balancing work and family weigh far more heavily on the minds of top law students than do other career concerns, including compensation and job prestige. We expected women to be worried, because work/life balance has often been framed as a women’s issue, but we found men to be equally concerned. Seventy-two percent of male and 76% of female students said they were very or extremely worried about being able to balance work and family. That’s more than twice the number of those who were worried about earning top pay, doing high-profile cases or working for a prestigious firm. Moreover, students are prepared to put their money where their mouths are. Eight out of 10 indicated a willingness to trade money for time, i.e., to accept reduced earnings in return for flexibility and reduced hours. See www.abetterbalance.org for the survey report.

Our findings support the conclusion that there is a generation gap around work/life balance. As the demand for a greater balance grows among new associates, law firms must take heed. During the past 10 years, these firms have been competing for talent by raising associate salaries dramatically. The sterling salaries often come hand in hand, however, with increased billable hour requirements and the expectation of 24/7 availability. Many young lawyers would happily trade sky-high salaries for more personal time.